Rationale of the study
In recent years, the expansion of Vietnam's international exchanges has laid a strong foundation for enhanced global cooperation, coinciding with the rise of globalization that emphasizes effective communication between nations However, relying solely on idioms from a single speech community can lead to misunderstandings, as individuals may struggle to comprehend unfamiliar words and expressions This challenge creates barriers to mutual understanding, particularly when attempting to communicate across vast distances and time intervals.
To address the challenges of translating English idioms into Vietnamese, it is essential to develop effective strategies for dealing with non-equivalence between the two languages This difficulty highlights the importance of enhancing translation skills, particularly in the context of idiomatic expressions Recognizing the significance of this issue, the researcher has chosen to focus on this topic for their study, aiming to deepen their understanding of translation techniques and improve knowledge surrounding non-equivalence in idiom translation.
This research proposal explores the overarching concepts of translation, specifically addressing non-equivalence and idiomatic expressions It provides strategies for effectively translating English idioms into Vietnamese, while acknowledging the constraints posed by the researcher’s limited time and knowledge.
12 techniques could not taken but some only In addition, some popular idioms are illustrated
This study employs two primary methods: material collection and comparative analysis Initially, data is gathered from diverse sources, including English and Vietnamese dictionaries, online resources, and other pertinent materials Subsequently, the data undergoes analysis, with examples provided to enhance learners' understanding of strategies for addressing non-equivalence in translating English idioms into Vietnamese.
The aims of this study is firstly understanding thoroughly theoretical translation, idioms and non-equivalence in translation and practice flexibly, creatively and exactly on specific English
The primary goal of this study is to enhance knowledge and vocabulary related to idioms Many idiomatic expressions possess multi-lexical meanings that function as a unique form of communication, necessitating that translators possess a deep understanding of these concepts.
This study is divided into 3 parts:
Part I: INTRODUCTION states rationale, scopes, methods, aims and design of the study
Part II: DEVELOPMENT consists of three chapters:
Chapter I presents theoretical background with overview of translation subject, idiom and non-equivalence in translating
Chapter II mentions the study on difficulties caused by the non- equivalence in translating English idioms into Vietnamese
Chapter III suggests some techniques to deal with non-equivalence in translating English idioms into Vietnamese with detail examples
Part III: CONCLUSION summarizes the study mentioned above and some suggestions for further study
PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Translation is a widely recognized concept in everyday life, yet its definition remains contentious, with numerous books and articles exploring this complex topic Each author presents their perspective, contributing to the ongoing debate about what translation truly means The question "What is translation?" continues to challenge linguists and scholars alike In this study, the researcher aims not to establish a personal definition of translation but to adopt and support one of the existing concepts deemed most relevant to the research.
According to Bui Tien Bao and Dang Xuan Thu , “Translation is rendering a written text into another language in the way that the author intended”.(Bui
Tien Bao and Dang Xuan Thu (1999), Interpreting and translation course book, Education Publishing House, Ha Noi.)
There are two kinds of translation: literal and idiomatic translation Literal translation is form-based
Idiomatic translation is meaning-based
Literal translation is appropriate only when the meaning of the source language is clear and explicit A skilled translator strives for an idiomatic translation, which reflects the natural structure and vocabulary of the target language This approach makes the text appear as if it were originally written in the receptor language Ultimately, idiomatic translation is essential for accurately conveying fixed expressions.
15 idioms from one language into another because an idiom’s meaning can not be derived from the conjoined meaning of its components
The idiom "It rains cats and dogs" would lose its meaning if translated literally into Vietnamese as "Trời mưa chã và mÌo," since Vietnamese speakers do not associate those animals with heavy rain Instead, a more accurate translation would be "Trời mưa như trót nước," which conveys the intended meaning effectively.
Bui Tien Bao and Dang Xuan Thu emphasize the significance of two primary translation methods: semantic translation and communicative translation, each characterized by distinct features These methods are outlined in their 1999 course book on interpreting and translation, published by the Education Publishing House in Hanoi.
Semantic translation Communicative translation The stress lies on:
Message Reader Utterance Mostly inferior to its original
Wide and universal, responds to the author and address itself to all readers
Often better than its original
“Tailor made” for one category of readership, does one job
- Correct mistakes of fact Secure truth:
Extend unit of translation Text will be:
Smoother More idiomatic Easier to read Text categories:
11 Popular fiction Religions, philosophical, artistic, scientific, legal texts
According to Peter Newmark, there are other translation methods (Newmark, Peter (1995), A text book of translation, phoenix ELT)
Target language (TL) emphasis: Adaptation
Free translation Idiomatic translation Communicative translation
Interlinear translation showcases the target language (TL) directly beneath the source language (SL) words, maintaining the original word order Words are translated individually using their most common meanings, often without considering context, while cultural terms are translated literally This method primarily serves to grasp the mechanics of the source language or to clarify challenging texts as a preliminary step in the translation process.
The SL grammatical constructions are converted to their nearest TL equivalents but the lexical words are again translated singly, out of context
As a pre-translation process, this indicates the problems to be solved
A faithful translation aims to accurately convey the original's contextual meaning while adhering to the grammatical structures of the target language It effectively transfers cultural terms and maintains the level of grammatical and lexical deviation from the source language norms The goal is to remain entirely true to the intentions and textual expression of the original writer.
Semantic translation differs from faithful translation by emphasizing the aesthetic value and natural sound of the source language text While faithful translation is rigid and dogmatic, semantic translation allows for greater flexibility in conveying meaning.
This translation method is the most flexible, primarily applied to plays and poetry It focuses on preserving themes, characters, and plots while adapting the source language culture to fit the target language culture, resulting in a rewritten text.
Free translation focuses on conveying the meaning of the original text while neglecting its stylistic elements, often resulting in a paraphrase that is significantly longer than the source material This approach, known as "intralingua translation," does not qualify as true translation.
Idiomatic translation reproduces the “message” of the original but tends to distort nuances of meaning by preferring colloquialism and idioms where there do not exist in the original
Communicative translation attempts to render the precise contextual meaning of the original in such a way that both content and language are acceptable and understandable to the readership
Idiom as special forms of language carry a large amount of culture information, such as history, geography, religion, custom, thinking pattern and so on So what is an idiom?
To effectively research idioms, learners must first grasp their definition Scholars vary in their focus; some highlight the structural complexity of idioms, while others stress that their meanings are arbitrary and cannot be dissected This divergence in understanding leads to different interpretations of what constitutes an idiom Despite the multitude of definitions, this study will concentrate on specific concepts of idioms in both English and Vietnamese.
In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the idiom is also defined as:
“ a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit”.(Hornby, A.S
(1995), Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Oxford
For instance: “ Smell a Rat” doesn’t have the meaning of “ Ngửi thấy một con chuột” but the meaning of “ Nghi ngờ có chuyện không hay”